Received this from the Sephora birthday gift this year (I completely forgot to add it to the last haul of 2017).

This is the Tarteist Lip Paint in the shade Birthday Suit.

I’ve used some terrible liquid lipsticks but boy is this terrible. I love your stuff Tarte! Not to mention, everyone is using the Shape Tape and loving it that it is on my wishlist.

But what in God’s good name was this?

What I like about it:

Cute packaging. Doe foot applicator is soft and rather flexible. Pigmented and comfortable to wear.

What I don’t like:

EVERYTHING ELSE! It is grainy, patchy, it settles into every line and crevice and collects there even with the thinnest, lightest application, moves around too much, grabs onto every dry patch. I don’t mind it being not a formula that doesn’t dry completely down but since it is so bad, it kind of adds to its negatives. A full tube is MYR 95 which isn’t too expensive but, you know me! Nope! BYE!

The formula drastically changes as it dries out and it worsens (referring to the pros above);

As the formula dries out it becomes clumpy (the swatches bear evidence as my second coat picture shows a little bit of clumping).

When the formula dries out there also seems to be fallout.

The size of the wand makes it a little hard to work with.

Rating:

8.3/10

I am giving it a high rating because the mascara blew my mind when I initially tried it out. This would have gotten a rating above 9 if the formula didn’t change as it dried out. But hey, for a MYR 20 mascara, 3 to 4 months use is more than enough although I kept using it until the 8th month mark! 😛

So I was contacted again by the PR representatives I received the J.One skincare products from and this time around was approached to review skincare from AQUTOP.

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me for my honest review. Thoughts are all mine and links provided are not affiliate links (meaning, I don’t make any money from any of the links on this review).

So AQUTOP is a new Korean brand launched in 2015 and have been available in Singapore since 2017. Fun fact, the brand name is apparently a combination of the words water (aqua) and best (top). They are all about moisture for the skin and undeniably it is the most important thing the skin needs!

The three products that I received.

Let’s first start with the product I liked the most.

Description: It is a foaming cleanser that comes in 150ml/5.07 fl. oz. It contains germinating black beans which apparently allows for smoother skin and deeper cleanse.

Price: USD 7 (approximately MYR 27.31 at time this post was published).

Where to buy: For my fellow Malaysians, they are sold at Qoo10 (link here). Price on Qoo10 may differ from the price stated (applicable for all products).

Product.

Lots of lather! And I didn’t even use much water.

Pros:

Deep cleanse!

Doesn’t leave the skin dry and tight.

The tiniest of product goes a long way (on my big face, two peas sized blob lathers well and cleanses properly!).

The skin brightening wasn’t so evident perhaps because of my darker skin tone.

It leaves a horrible white cast on the skin that never does go away (pictures below)

It sits on the skin funny, like a mask instead of a cream that absorbs into the skin.

This is a layer of product freshly applied! NOT A BEFORE AND AFTER!!!! The cast doesn’t go away! So walking out in the day with this on, NO! However, I used it at night and my skin did improve! I had a lot more texture on the skin than I did before using this product.

Rating:

4/10

As much as it improved my skin, the white cast and the way it sits funny on the skin is not something I can tolerate using it during day time.

Moving on to the third and final product.

A body lotion.

Description: A toning body lotion that comes in 100 ml or 3.38 fl. oz. It is supposed to brighten and tone skin while adding moisture.

I may change this rating, because I used it for just about 2 weeks and wasn’t enough to see if the effects were persistent. I had a hard time using it because it does take a while to work it into the skin especially since I am using it on the body.

In my 2016 collective empties I decided to set aside MYR 100 every month for cosmetics which I would collect end of the year and do something good with. Well, I did and it went for a better cause than cosmetics. Purchased a beauty blender and a Hugo Boss perfume though; something I wanted to do even with the challenge.

Come 2018, I am continuing with the trend and doing a Low Buy 2018! MYR 50 for cosmetics each month. No more! I am allowing myself to pool the money so if I happen to spend MYR 100 for a month then there would be nothing for the next. All in all, there’s MYR 600 for the whole year for cosmetics (which isn’t much; A MAC powder costs MYR160 and I spent about MYR 200 in 2017 EVEN WITH the NO BUY challenge!!!). Of course this doesn’t extend to things pertaining to skincare like facial cleansers, toners and moisturisers. I had this concession even last year (I GOTTA WASH MY FACE DON’T I????).

I need to preface this post by stating here that I don’t feature products twice. That means these aren’t the only products I have finished. Some stuff I regularly repurchase and use don’t get mentioned here. However, if a product comes in different flavours or colours then they get repeated due to the variation. For example, in this collective empties, cleansers from the brand LipHop are featured twice because they are of different types.

Here are the stats;

I have posted 7 product empties post which would amounts to 35 products. In actuality there are only 34 because I accidentally repeated a product.

Last product empties of the year! I will be doing a collective 2017 empties in January but for the moment, here is my last for 2017!

The blurred out product had already been featured and I had discarded the other products to be able to retake the picture… Apologies!

I’ve inserted this picture from the review. I am obviously referring to NC42 on the left. It has reduced a lot more since this picture. Review link here.

This is the Collection Cosmetics Moisturising Lip Cream. Extremely similar to the next product and MUCH cheaper! I went so far as to call it a dupe (post link here). Unfortunately, the brand is no longer available here in Malaysia but this was an amazing product. I don’t think I am going out of my way to purchase this. Purchased it for MYR 10.50 (which seems kind of redundant but hey, for reference purposes anyway).

This is the Dabur Vatika Naturals, styling hair cream. I LOVE this stuff!!! My hair was softer, stronger and healthier. You know something is good when you actually feel a difference. However, I didn’t use it for its intended purpose because as much as I loved the initial scent, it would start smelling like pee after it sat for half an hour or so on the hair. I do tend to have dandruff breakouts (well, go ahead, ewwww away, I don’t care. Spoiler alert, I am human!) but it didn’t really do much for the dandruff. The only way my dandruff is cleaned up is if I wash my hair everyday without fail and when I don’t, it just flares up. Again, not much for the dandruff but for the hair and the scalp! YES! And this small tub was MYR 3.50!!! Definitely repurchasing!

This is the Innisfree Whitening Pore Cream. Won this from a giveaway and was featured in an old haul. I did just start using it this year and finally finished it up. I am not a fan of anything that markets itself as whitening, however, this cream was nice, absorbed well and smelled good. Didn’t do much to “whiten” though… My gripe with it was, after a couple of hours my face oiled up a little more than it usually does. Not anything too bad but I would have a strong urge to blot my face. I love using it at night because in the morning my skin is nice and plump and bouncy. Wouldn’t purchase it because I checked out the price online and it is a whopping MYR 125! Nope!

These products were sent to me by a company called Beureka, which was started by men (two Singaporeans actually)! Well, there’s were I relate!

They offer a wide array of beauty products with a focus on Asian and Korean brands. The products that were sent to me is by a high end brand called J.One which has been available in Sephora US for a while now.

Disclaimer: I was sent these products to review but opinions are entirely mine.

I’ll attach all links to Beureka at the end of the post.

I received four products; 2 masks, a makeup primer and a cream.

First the makeup base.

Description: A clear jelly like leave on mask that has anti-aging properties, and acts as a makeup primer. Comes in 50 ml (1.69 fl. oz) of product, complete with a pump.

Price: SGD 42.00 (excluding shipping and as of 25th December 2017, the exchange rate for SGD to MYR is 1 to 3.03, so the product costs MYR 127.37)

Where to buy: Beureka (details at the end of the review)

Pump!!! Yes!

The product

Leaves a dewy finish on the skin without feeling oily.

Pros:

Leaves a tacky surface for product to cling on.

Scentless.

Easy to work with.

PUMP, YES!!!

Hydrates and moisturises skin (in fact, it seems to almost trap moisture on the skin).

Prevents makeup from settling into lines (not entirely but, it would make a phenomenal difference for someone with wrinkles).

Cons:

Price (obviously a con for a cheapo like me HOWEVER, Beureka rates are amazing; this one is sold at Sephora US for USD 42 and since 1USD = 1.34SGD, it makes this product CHEAPER on Beureka).

Didn’t really smooth out pores.

Made my skin oil up at the end of its run, more than if I didn’t wear a primer at all (nothing too bad).

Rating: 8/10

Now here’s why I am giving it an 8. I don’t particularly have skin that makeup slides off. In fact, my skin holds on to makeup like no other! I wear primers for pore refining and oil control. However, working on people with different types of skin, I can say that there are people with skin so smooth that makeup actually doesn’t stick on and so for people like that, this product would be a Godsend!

Description: Lotion like cream that come in individual beads. 20 grams (o.7 oz) of product and comes with a tiny plastic spatula.

Price: SGD 58 (converts to MYR 176.01 as of 25th December 2017)

Where to buy: Beureka (details at the end of the review)

The product inside.

The plastic spatula.

I find it very satisfying picking individual beads for every use. I need to use about 3 beads for my large face.

Pros:

Easy to use.

Extremely hygienic since the fingers don’t go digging into the pot and the spatula can be easily cleaned.

Works well!

As moisturising as it was, my face doesn’t oil up and found that very fascinating!

Absorbs very easily into the skin.

Definitely made my skin smoother (nothing phenomenal but for the short amount of time I used it, I was amazed).

Cons:

Price.

I need 3 whole beads for my face.

Note: This is fragranced and pretty heavily I might add. So that may be a concern.

Rating: 8.5/10

I LOVE this thing! Best part is the fragrance which is very nostalgic for me.

The mask was refreshing at best. There are two parts to the mask. Step one is a sheet mask and step two is a jelly lotion that felt very much like the J.One Jelly Pack. The mask isn’t available on the website as of the time of this review but you’re welcome to check back on Beureka. I found a source that lists it at USD 3.80.

I implore you to compare prices because the J.One products are much cheaper on Beureka than even the Sephora US website. So I am sure there are good bargains! They have perfumes, skincare and some makeup too. Mostly high end and luxury brands.

For Malaysia, they offer a flat rate of SGD 12 for every order. So perhaps pool order with a couple of friends???

I have not used many foundations to proclaim that this one in particular beats out the rest. I detail my experience using this product in hopes that it will help another make an informed decision.

The Sephora brand itself has a wide range of products but never really talked about or raved about. This comes as a surprise to me because their price range is lower than most brands available and their products are very inclusive of a wide range of skin tones.

Here I review the Sephora 10HR Wear Perfection Foundation.

The product. I love the frosted glass bottle!

Description at the side of the bottle.

Clear sticker at bottom of the bottle with shade name and code.

A pump! YES! Much appreciated!

The pump actually dispenses product very nicely. No wastage!

Blended. It has a very skin-like finish. It’s not matte nor is it too dewy. The yellow undertone works very well on my face.

Description: Liquid foundation that comes in 25 ml or 0.84 fl. oz. Very darker skin friendly range of shades (if you are Indian, you are sure to find a shade for you in this range!). Medium to full coverage with a skin-like dewy finish.

You can see it being used on my face in this video. Although it seems like a lighter shade, it sinks and blends well into my skin and I typically use a bronzer so that ties in with the whole thing as well.

Pros:

Medium coverage foundation that can be built to full coverage.

Natural looking finish.

Doesn’t settle into fine lines.

Setting with powder removes dewy finish.

Doesn’t cake up even when layered.

Feels light on the skin.

Long lasting (10 hours is a bit of a stretch but depending on your skin type, a good 6 to 7 hours of wear and it doesn’t just break down leaving patches, rather it fades off pretty evenly).

Wide and very darker skin friendly range!

Pump! YES!

Not too expensive for a product from Sephora.

Cons:

Not even a full ounce of product.

May not work for oily skin because of its dewy finish.

Tends to make the skin oil up because of the dewy finish. Setting with powder helps.

Rating: 9.1/10

I have only ever used one other liquid foundation (for every day use) that I have reviewed here (link here). But this one, I LOVE! Highly rated on the Sephora website.

I know you see the Essence Blush trio there, HOLD YOUR HORSES! That was a gift! By my blogger friend Lakshmi (author of Big is Compatible link here). Price MYR 21.90.

Purchased from Guardian, Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner dual pack. Price; MYR 28.20 (purchased because I was completely out of toners; funny enough, individual bottles were on sale for MYR14.50 and even then, the dual pack is cheaper).

Unicorn brushes; RM 1.00! (A YouTuber offered a code to purchase these brushes at RM1 via an online shopping app). Brushes are pretty poor quality but the bristles are surprisingly soft. Would have only regretted it if I paid any more than RM1…

These following stuff I got a little later.

Purchased from Guardian

LipHop Honey Moist royal jelly lip balm, original price; MYR 13.90, purchased for; MYR 9.90 (I caved in with this one because 95% of the lip balms available at local drugstores are by Rohto which owns The Mentholatum Company. Don’t believe me? Check it out next time, you’ll probably see logo of either Rohto or The Mentholatum Company on most of the lip balms sold at Watsons and Guardian. Besides, I loved their face washes; click the link here to see an example; so I wanted to check these out).

I realised that I don’t usually gravitate to using it in the tub because I don’t want to stick my finger in it and it’s very inconvenient to use a brush because the brush needs to be periodically cleaned. So I found a way to use it up!